Recipe updated: October 16th, 2024
We decided to cook frozen salmon filets in the air fryer this week and they were amazing. It’s real salmon folks, vacuum sealed, filleted, and skinless. Remove the frozen salmon from the package, season it, then put it in the air fryer for 8 to 18 minutes. That’s it! These salmon fillets are easy to make, convenient, and so good!
Nothing is better than cooking fast and easy food recipes in the air fryer. Some of our favorites include Air Fryer Fish Sticks (Frozen), Frozen Burgers in Air Fryer Recipe, and Air Fryer Potato Wedges.
🐟 Key Ingredients
- 4 frozen salmon filets (we choose Sam’ Choice premium Atlantic salmon skinless)
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon table salt
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
👩🍳 How to Make Frozen Salmon in the Air Fryer
These step-by-step instructions are accompanied by detailed photos for enhanced clarity and guidance.
Step 1. Preheat Air Fryer
Set the air fryer temperature to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. We use a Cosori air fryer, so it is a bit different from Ninja Foodi and other brands, so you may or may not need to preheat your air fryer.
Step 2. Prepare the Dry Spices
In a medium bowl, add 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper together with 2 tablespoons light brown sugar, 1/2 teaspoon table salt, 1/2 teaspoon onion powder, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, and 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper. At this point, you can also choose to add any of your favorite seasonings to the bowl too.
Step 3. Combine the Spices
Stir the spices around in the bowl with a spoon or fork until all is combined. Set aside for now.
Step 4. Prepare the Air Fryer Basket
Put a sheet of parchment paper with holes in it in the air fryer basket. If you don’t have any parchment paper, apply some cooking spray to the basket.
Step 5. Arrange the Salmon on the Basket
In its frozen state, remove the salmon fillets from the vacuum-packed wrap and put the frozen fish on top of the parchment paper that is on the air fryer basket. Place the salmon in a single layer across the basket. If your salmon has skin on it, lay the skin side down. Our salmon was skinless.
FYI: Filet is the French spelling of fillet. Now you know. 🙂
Step 6. Brush on Olive Oil
Pour 1 tablespoon of olive oil into a small bowl. Using a basting brush, or a pastry brush, apply the olive oil to the salmon pieces until each one is completely coated with the oil.
Step 7. Sprinkle on the Seasonings
Get the bowl with the seasonings in it that we mixed up earlier and sprinkle them on top of each piece of salmon.
Step 8. Cook the Salmon
Place the bakest in the air fryer and cook the salmon at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 8 to 18 minutes, but flip the salmon over halfway through the cooking process and sprinkle more seasoning on that side. If the fish you are cooking has skin on the bottom of it, you will not need to turn the fish over halfway through the cooking process.
Use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature until it reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit. An instant read thermometer works great. Clean the bottom of the air fryer basket before making a second batch of salmon.
Note: Depending on the type of air fryer you have, the thickness of the salmon you are preparing, how you like the texture of your salmon, and whether you like moist or more on the dry side, the total cooking time can vary anywhere between 8 to 18 minutes, give or take a few minutes either way. With our Cosori air fryer, our total cook time was 18 minutes, so be sure to keep an eye on the salmon while it cooks in the air fryer.
🌟 Recipe Variations
- Sprinkle some lemon juice on the salmon before cooking or before eating, or the same with lemon slices.
- Add your favorite seasoning before cooking or after cooking.
- You can use different types of salmon or fresh fish in the air fryer, such as sockeye salmon or wild-caught salmon. However, the cooking time can change due to a thicker cut or if it is fresh, not frozen.
- Make a Dijon mustard sauce to spread on the salmon before cooking.
🙋 FAQs
If you have any leftover salmon, put it in the refrigerator in an airtight container or wrap it in plastic wrap or aluminum foil. Eat the leftover salmon within 2 or 3 days because after that it will start to lose its quality.
Leftover salmon tastes great cold. You can serve it for lunch with some cheese and crackers. If you are going to serve the leftover salmon for next night’s dinner, just reheat it in the air fryer until it reaches the desired warmth you prefer.
Our favorite side dish with salmon is homemade Rice a Roni with cheese and a fresh salad. Potato salad, hash browns, or boiled baby potatoes are excellent choices too.
If you feel like fish and chips, well in this case, salmon and chips, serve french fries or potato wedges as a side dish with tartar sauce.
💡 Final Thoughts
Salmon is a delicious fish to cook in the air fryer and it is also a healthy dinner to fix for your family. These frozen salmon fillets are super moist on the inside. They are also a little bit crunchy on the outside.
This air fryer salmon recipe is an easy way to make a simple dish and a healthy meal all at the same time. It is also a great source of protein to prepare for lunch or dinner to give you that extra boost of energy you need to finish off the rest of the day. My granddaughter loved this recipe and your kids will too! Enjoy!
📄 Printable Recipe Card
Frozen Salmon in Air Fryer
🫕 Equipment
🧂 Ingredients
- 4 frozen salmon fillets
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
- 2 tbsp light brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp table salt
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
👩🍳 Instructions
- Preheat air fryer to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Place a sheet of parchment paper (with holes in it) on the air fryer basket or apply cooking spray.
- Lay the salmon fillets on top of the parchment paper.
- Brush each salmon fillet with olive oil.
- Mix the salt, pepper, brown sugar, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder, then sprinkle on top of each salmon fillet.
- Place the air fryer basket into the air fryer. Cook the salmon at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 8 to 18 minutes, depending on your air fryer. We cooked our salmon for 18 minutes.
- Flip each piece of salmon halfway through the cooking process and sprinkle with more seasoning on the other side. If you have skin on the bottom of your fish, you do not need to flip the fish or sprinkle more seasoning on the other side.
*️⃣ Recipe Notes
- It is so convenient to be able to take frozen salmon out of the freezer and have a healthy salmon dinner ready in 18 minutes or less. There is no need to thaw the salmon first before putting it in the air fryer.
💑 More Air Fryer Recipes You Will Love
- Air Fryer Pierogies – These pierogies are in the frozen section of the grocery store and are pre-made with potatoes and cheddar cheese stuffed inside a dumpling. The cook time is about 8 to 12 minutes, and then they are done. Very good!
- Sausage Links in Air Fryer – A quick and easy way to cook sausage links is in the air fryer. They come out perfectly cooked and delicious every time in 8 to 10 minutes!
- Frozen Burgers in Air Fryer Recipe – So quick and so convenient to take frozen hamburger patties out of the freezer and put them in the air fryer. They cook in 23 minutes for well done.
A wife, a mother to a son and a daughter, and a grandmother to three granddaughters. Flo loves sharing recipes passed down from her own mother, her mother-in-law, and her grandmother as well as new recipes created with her daughter, Tamara Ray.
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